


i want your (dying) love

by estrojenn



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Injury, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Terraqua if you squint, Vampires, characters will be added if they appear, i say enemies to lovers but its really more like reluctant alliance to lovers, this will get more graphic, xion and namine are now in this but a very small amount
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:42:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estrojenn/pseuds/estrojenn
Summary: Ven was a vampire hunter in training but it wasn't his first choice. He trained under Aqua and Terra after a vicious vampire attack on Master Eraqus that had killed him. He's supposed to help the others hunt vampires down but there hasn't been an attack or sighting since.It's radio silence until he meets Vanitas.
Relationships: Aqua & Terra & Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), Vanitas/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

“Try again.”

While it had been said in a calm tone, Aqua felt anything but. Ven could sense his own frustration building, his hands trembled with exhaustion. Ven had been training today for the past 6 hours with Aqua. Today, Master Aqua wanted to work on his aim with his knives and handgun; he’d been her apprentice for nearly a year but no matter how long or hard he practiced, Aqua always found areas to criticize. 

It drove him mad but he understood her need to be critical. He didn’t enter the most popular or safe profession but it certainly was the most expected. At the age of 14, he was found unconscious on the steps of the well-renowned vampire hunter, Eraqus. Ven was soon introduced to Terra and Aqua, two apprentices under him, and quickly was taken under their wings. They taught him self-defense even though Master Eraqus did not want him to learn the practice of vampire hunting. Perhaps it was Ven’s lost memories prior to becoming adopted by Master Eraqus--he’d never regained them, something had locked them away. 

Almost a year ago, when Ven turned 19, Master Eraqus had been killed by the very thing he hunted. Master Eraqus had only two other students, Aqua and Terra, who became masters right before Master Eraqus' death. Almost a year ago, Ven had taken up the craft and trained under Aqua’s eye for detail. 

Today, Ven was not doing well with detail. He kept missing each target by a few inches, which could very well end his life. While Ven was ushered into killing vampires, they had not seen nor heard of a vampire attack for a year. The last one ended with Master Eraqus and seemingly all the vampires vanished. That didn’t mean Aqua or Terra couldn’t keep Ven on his toes. 

“Ven, that’s enough. It’s getting late,” Aqua said, 2 hours later. Orange hues colored the sky and clued them in on the time. 

“Finally,” Ven sputtered out. His arms felt killer, it felt unfair--not everyone could have Terra’s arms. “Are we getting dinner or are you trying to cook again?”

“What’s wrong with my cooking?”

“It’s always burnt,” Ven answered and gave her deadpan look. 

“It is not!” Aqua argued. She crossed her arms and returned the look. Ven began to laugh and soon Aqua joined in. “Okay, okay, let’s head into town and get something to eat. We can pick something up for Terra since he’s coming back tonight.” She ruffled his hair and pushed him toward the stairs so he could clean himself up. 

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Aqua and Ven walked into town to a local diner. Not many people were in the restaurant, a blessing since Aqua had grown to hate crowds and Ven hated loud areas himself. An old country song was playing over the speakers and Ven found himself humming along while they waited for their food.

“Why do we keep at this if there’s no more vampires?” Ven whispered the question and Aqua looked at him with those faraway eyes.

“You know why,” she whispered back. “We have to be prepared. Nothing good comes from vampires and them disappearing is a good thing.”

“They can’t be all bad,” Ven mumbled. 

“Ventus.” He winced at his full name. “Might I remind you that you arrived with blood stains on your clothes. Blood that was not even yours!”

He started to fidget with his straw, he knew he shouldn’t have brought this up in the first place--the answer she gave was one that was always expected since it always succeeded in quieting Ven. 

“Ven,” she addressed him in a soft tone. “We need to keep hunting, it’s our duty, our mission.” Her words were final and Ven didn’t dare push further. 

They returned after their meal and waited for Terra on the porch. He would be returning via the last train which should have arrived not even 10 minutes ago. The fireflies were blinking amongst the sprawling fields, they looked like the stars that appeared in the darkening sky. Ven tried to catch them, with the grace of a worm, commented Aqua as she laughed from behind the railing. It was a moment like this that Ven was grateful for the lull in vampire sightings--even if Aqua was so adamant about training, she had become more relaxed over the course of the year. Ven knew they weren’t the same as before the killing, but they slowly became happier, together. 

“There he is!” Aqua pointed Terra out in the near distance and jumped over the railing and ran to greet him up close. Ven was not far behind, shouting Terra’s name out loud enough to scare their chickens awake. 

“Welcome back!” they said in unison. Terra accepted their hugs and shifted his bags so that he could continue moving while they held onto him back to their home. 

“We would make it back faster if you two weren’t dragging me down,” Terra said. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Ven asked. Terra merely shook his head in response.

Back at home, they sat by a fireplace. Terra caught them up on his travels--he’d been scouting for information of vampire sightings. Usually, these debriefings would go by quickly since very little information ever related to vampires. 

“A traveller told me of a family who had suffered a terrible massacre two months ago. The town he named is far from here so it makes sense that this information barely got to my ears. The parents of the family were killed, their bodies were drained of blood and their two sons disappeared, most likely kidnapped. Or so the traveller was told.” Terra swirled the glass of liquor in his hand. He took a sip and continued, “We should head out tomorrow. I don’t think they were kidnapped, one was 20 and the other 17. If anything they ran.”

Aqua looked at Terra with solemn eyes before standing up. She stretched and let out a sigh. “Agreed, we should head in for the night. Early morning tomorrow.” She gave Ven a pointed look, “Got that, Ven?”

Ven rolled his eyes but nodded in understanding. He would complain but he had started to yawn ten minutes ago and his eyes felt heavier by the second. The three of them retired to their rooms, Terra was practically dragging his feet--they were all exhausted. Ven sank into his bed and dreamt of static.

Morning came and Ven had a headache. The sunlight that peaked through his curtains woke him and irritated him further. He knew he wouldn’t be able to escape his duties today but he could lie in bed for a few more moments as he tried to will his dull pain away. His effort was fruitless and he took his time preparing for today. His bag was prepacked last night and he thanked Aqua for the foresight. All he needed to take were his weapons and he holstered his knives and gun to his waist. 

There was a knock on his door and a quick turn of the doorknob revealed it to be from Terra. “Are you ready yet?” he asked. Ven nodded and Terra ruffled his hair much like how Aqua did yesterday. Ven attempted to push him off with no avail and instead relented to the bullying. 

They made it quick down the stairs to meet Aqua at the front and Ven noticed the keys dangling in Aqua’s hands. “Can I drive this time,  _ please _ ?” Ven begged. 

“Absolutely not, you almost crashed last time.” Aqua handed the keys to Terra, who gave Ven an apologetic smile.

“It was raining and there was a deer in the road!” Ven argued. 

“Come on Ven, you can ride up front. Aqua’s sitting in the bed,” Terra said. Never mind the fact that Aqua always took up the rear, Terra said she was paranoid about keeping all their blindspots covered. She, instead, would defend herself by saying she liked the wind in her hair. Ven thought she was just bad with directions on the map. 

Ven estimated that it would take them an hour to get to the town Terra mentioned last night. The pickup truck they owned was old, its paint had started to strip but the truck was reliable as ever. It’s rumbling motor soothed Ven even if his own anxiety about the vampire sighting had just begun to rise. With Aqua secure in the back, the three set off. 

As they drove among the vast fields and winding roads, Ven thought of the lessons he was taught earlier in the year. He learned about the history between vampires and vampire hunters. He knew about how vampires fed and hunted all to perfect his own abilities in killing them. The thought stirred his stomach, he’d never killed anything before. While he was taught how to kill, Ven was not sure if he wanted to use that knowledge. 

“How are you so calm?” Ven asked Terra. He was humming along to a tune on the radio, one that Ven didn’t know. He stopped when Ven spoke up.

“I don’t know,” Terra admitted. “It’s been so long since we’ve had any solid leads. I hope we don’t encounter anything terrible. Aqua’s had enough of that to last a lifetime.” Terra never spoke of how Master Eraqus’ death affected him, he only ever worried about Aqua. 

They made it into town safely and spent most of the morning and afternoon talking to residents about the two brothers or possible vampire sightings. Some of the residents looked at them strangely, vampires weren’t a common threat anymore. They had some success, one person spotted a weary traveller that matched the description of the older boy. The bad news was that the traveller had only stayed for a few hours before disappearing into the forest on the edge of the town. 

It was their only lead so the three of them agreed that would be their next step. However, it had gotten late and while their lead was most likely time sensitive, none of them thought it was safe to walk through the unfamiliar woods. 

They checked into the inn, managed by a lonely grandmother. She seemed very fond of Ven--she pinched his cheeks and cooed at him while the other two laughed at the display. After the assault on his face they were ushered to their rooms, where they decided to take turns keeping watch. Terra and Aqua took to bed first, they had an easier time waking up than Ven so Ven was the first to keep watch.

“Don’t fall asleep, Ven,” Terra teased. 

“I won’t hesitate to smother you in your sleep if you don’t go to bed,” Aqua warned from the other side of the bed. 

Ven snorted and sat near the window. He hoped it would be a calm night but the air was too still to hope. Ven eyes wandered to the night sky, where the stars dotted and flickered. Out of boredom, he started to count them--the idea of this was to keep him busy but all it did was make him drowsy. He took to spinning one of his knives instead--a simple trick that he was much better at than aiming them at aluminum cans. 

Something moved around down below. Ven was certain it was a person walking around in the middle of the night and whoever it was clutched their sides in apparent agony. Suddenly, they fell in front of the inn and Ven shot up from his position. He looked back over to Terra and Aqua where they were sleeping soundly. It could be a vampire attack but Ven was not certain. This area had predators, bears and wolves wandering the night and they were known to hurt people that dared step into their territories in the dark. 

Ven made the decision to leave his two friends asleep and walked downstairs, hand on his holster. The old woman had retired for the night as well so the inn was quiet despite the creaky floorboards. Ven opened the front door and walked out, scanning for the person that had collapsed. He stepped forward and realized he had stepped in something wet. 

_ That’s not water,  _ Ven thought. He bent down and touched the soaked area and his fingers came up red. “It’s cold.” Ven stood up straight and took his knife out, now wary of his surroundings. He couldn’t hear a thing out of the ordinary but there was no longer a body where there should have been one. Ven now regretted not waking up Terra and Aqua--he was not nearly as qualified as they were to deal with this. He’d have to manage on his own for now. 

Ven saw something blur around the corner. He made sure to hold his knife tightly, while his other hand hovered around his chest to quickly block any attacks. He rounded the corner but nothing and no one was visible. He sighed, he should get back to Aqua and Terra to wake them up and tell them what he had witnessed. 

All of a sudden, he was forced into the wall by a hand. The nails (or claws?) dug into his neck and the use of force knocked out his breath and his knife. He opened his eyes only to face a man not much taller than him with golden eyes and black hair. The moonlight bounced off his features--he would look sickly if the intent to kill was not lurking behind his eyes. Ven reached for his pistol, only to be stopped by the man holding him back.

“Wouldn’t try that right now,” he threatened. The man licked his lips, revealing his fangs that confirmed what he really was. Ven’s heartbeat quickened and racked for a way to get Aqua and Terra to come help and find a way to escape. 

The vampire’s clawed hand smoothed the area of Ven’s neck, causing a shudder to run through Ven. He let go of his neck only to pin both of Ven’s arms to the brick wall behind him. The air turned from still to thick and Ven squirmed under the vampire’s intense stare. The vampire opened his mouth wider and angled his head to gain purchase on Ven’s neck. Ven shut his eyes, terrified that he would die and angry that he made too many mistakes. The bite never came and the lips that hovered over his neck retreated. 

“Vanitas!” yelled a voice from the distance. Ven could not make out who the person was and his head was still swimming from the near-biting. 

“Next time, then.” Ven was released from the hold and the vampire ran off in the direction of the voice. Ven sank to his knees to catch his breath. Adrenaline pumped through his body, making the task harder than usual. He  _ should _ go after him. He  _ should _ but his body felt glued down, every movement was stiffer than the last. 

“Ven!” He heard Aqua shout his name from close by but he could not turn to see. His body felt too heavy and he collapsed before Aqua could get to him. 

He woke up to Aqua and Terra discussing something about the vampire he encountered. By the look of the sky outside, not much time had passed. Aqua and Terra did not notice that he woke up, they talked in hushed and hurried whispers. He rustled, finding the strength to sit up. The hushed whispers stopped and the two turned their eyes to Ven.

“Are you okay?” Terra was concerned and handed Ven a bottle of water. 

“Ven, what happened out there?” Aqua asked. 

He eyed both of them, his throat felt dry and he drank the water before speaking. “I--I thought someone was hurt,” he replied. “I made a mistake, I should have woken you two up. If that person had not shouted the vampire’s name I don’t think--”

He stopped speaking when Terra clamped a hand down on his shoulder and squeezed it. It felt comforting, grounding. 

“Did you catch the vampire’s name?” Aqua was writing something down in the notebook of hers. Ven noticed she had her arrows strapped to her back and she had her guns holstered on her sides. She was preparing to kill tonight.

“I think I heard the voice yell ‘Vanitas’. Are you going out? Now?” 

“Yes,  _ we _ are. You know it’s impossible to catch a vampire in the daylight. Grab your things, we’re heading out.”

* * *

They made it to the edge of the woods, Ven was terrified of what was to come. The expression that Aqua held felt measured, practical, and murderous. They made their way in, Aqua was in the front while he and Terra flanked her from behind. The foliage was thick and the further in they went, the harder it became to navigate around the thick roots of the trees. Aqua signaled them to split up and they agreed to fire a flare in the case of an emergency.

He didn’t know how the others remained so calm. After the assault from earlier, Ven’s heart felt ready to jump out at any given notice. If he looked back, he could no longer see either of his friends--his only company has the waxing half moon, providing him solace so he could continue through the forest. The ground had become wet as the night cooled the earth and he scanned for possible footprints that could lead him to the vampire that attacked him. 

He kept walking a few more meters, holding his flashlight steady in one hand and his knife in the other. Ven was taught that killing a vampire would be a group effort, a knife to a vampire’s chest certainly would not be enough but it would help immobilize the creature. 

_ Crack _ . 

Ven whipped his head around to where the sound had come from. Even if it was not a vampire, plenty of other nocturnal predators roamed this area. Ven looked down and spotted a pair of footprints, the mud clearly defined the direction he needed to go. He walked carefully, always looking over his shoulder--he never determined who or what had made that sound. His grip tightened over his knife and his heart thumped loudly against his chest. Ven followed the footprints to the edge of a small clearing. 

Ven took in a deep breath and tried to lower his heart rate. He knew from his studies that vampires could detect them--how this information was recorded, Ven would rather never know. He took a step into the clearing, the footsteps had stopped at the edge of the grass so the vampire was either still nearby or had taken another route. 

“Couldn’t wait for next time, could you?” asked a low voice. Ven turned around quickly enough to dodge the creature’s lunge toward him. “Playing hard to get?” 

Ven didn’t reply and kept his distance. This vampire, Vanitas, as someone had called him, was preparing another strike. There was a change in his image from before, his lips were tinted red and similar colored streaks fell down his chin.  _ Blood _ . Ven’s heart rate sped up and it made it harder for Ven to concentrate on Vanitas’ attacks. It was almost a dance of sorts, the predator and its prey weaving around each other back and forth--but who was who depended on who you asked.

“I could hear your pretty little heart beat from the edge of the forest,” Vanitas smirked. “Must be nice to have one.” He lunged again and Ven was quick to slash his knife--it connected to Vanitas’ arm but only his shirt was cut. “Is this all you can do? I thought we could have more fun,” he taunted and grabbed Ven’s wrist. His grip was strong and when he twisted Ven’s wrist, Ven was forced to let go of his knife. 

If he could grab the flare gun--

“Stop it, Vanitas!” Whoever yelled it stopped Vanitas from inching closer to Ven. He did not drop Ven’s arm, he held it still while his eyes shifted to the person in the distance. Ven followed his line of sight, his flashlight was somewhere in the field, forgotten, and he struggled to make out who the person was due to the darkness. The person approached, it was a boy with brown hair and blue eyes. Was this...? “Vanitas, let him go.”

Vanitas scoffed and dropped Ven’s arm. His wrist was in pain but he used his other hand to reach for his flare gun. He tried to anyway, but Vanitas quickly kicked him down and placed his muddy boot over Ven’s chest. “Try again, see what happens,” Vanitas said as he pressed his boot down and made it harder for Ven to escape. 

Ven knew he couldn’t leave yet so he turned his head to the approaching boy. He looked very similar to the vampire holding him down. The two victims they were looking for originally were brothers but they were described to both have blue eyes. What happened to Vanitas? 

“Vanitas, you don’t even need to feed. What are you doing?” 

“Aw, Sora, but it’s fun!” Vanitas smiled down at Ven. It sent a shiver down his spine. “Either way, seems like he’s part of the vampire hunter crowd we’ve been looking for.” 

“Really?” Sora, as Ven now knew him by, kneeled down and hovered around Ven. His eyes went to Ven’s chest where his emblem hung on a necklace. It was usually hidden but it had gotten tossed around during his skirmish with Vanitas. “I’m going to push Vanitas’ gross boot off of you but you have to promise you won’t try anything. We don’t mean any harm--right, Vanitas?” Vanitas made a sound to acknowledge the question but made no other comment. 

“Fine,” Ven replied through gritted teeth. “I won’t hurt you.”  _ Yet _ . The pressure of Vanitas’ foot disappeared and Sora’s hand appeared to help him up. Ven did not take it and instead helped himself, wary of the two in front of him. 

In the movement, Vanitas reached over and took Ven’s weapons from him and his flare gun. “Can’t be too careful,” he explained. 

“Why are you looking for us? And why is--” Ven’s question was cut off by the sound of a gunshot and the sky glowed a troubling red. It came from Aqua’s direction. “I have to go.” He shot Vanitas a look--maybe he could tackle him to take back his weapons. 

“We’ll go with you,” Sora said. “It might be a vampire we’re looking for.” Ven didn’t have time to question that statement, his knife was handed back to him forcefully by Vanitas. 

They ran toward the location the flare indicated. It was strange, Ven knew that working alongside with the vampire that nearly bit him was strange, but something told him to trust them. Vanitas had better vision than the other two so he led the group. They never gave Ven the explanation, so if they valued their lives then they’d need to tell before Aqua got to them. If only they could get to her quicker.

After a few more grueling minutes, they made it to another clearing where they spotted Terra kneeling over Aqua. Ven pushed past the other two and yelled, “Aqua! Terra!” He slid down to sit opposite of Terra. “What happened?”

“Vampire,” Aqua spoke. “But not the one we saw. The one we want.” Aqua tried to move and let out a strangled cry. “I think the bastard hurt my leg and I have a sprain but he ran off--it seems like he was in a hurry.”

Ven sighed and shifted his eyes from Aqua and Terra to Sora and Vanitas. They were barely visible, hidden by the shadows of the trees. Ven could barely make it out but Vanitas was whispering to Sora which prompted Sora to roll his eyes. 

“Did you find anything on your end?” Terra asked Ven. “You look like you took a mud bath.”

Ven took in a sharp breath and hoped for the best. “Yes, but you cannot freak out.”

“What did you do, Ven?” She sounded exhausted. Ven moved his head in the direction of Sora and Vanitas and his friends did the same. Their eyes went wide when they spotted Vanitas--the vampire they set out to hunt that night. “Ven...” Aqua said in a warning tone.

Sora approached the trio while Vanitas hung back; Vanitas knew he was not safe around the other hunters just yet. 

“Heya, I’m Sora,” he introduced himself with a simple wave. The tone of his voice did not match the atmosphere that had been built up over the past 3 hours. “That guy is my older brother, Vanitas. We’re also looking for that same vampire that you all are looking for.”

Terra’s eyebrows shot up, realization settling into his features. “You’re the victims the traveller told me about--your family was attacked.” 

Aqua grunted, sitting up despite the pain. “His brother is a vampire--we can’t trust them.”

“We don’t know we can’t,” Ven interjected. 

“He almost hurt you!” Aqua shot back.

“As much as I’d like to break up this lovely family reunion, we need to get out of the forest,” Vanitas said, right next Sora as if he’d been there from the start. Aqua gave him a glare to which Vanitas responded with something similar. 

“He’s right, we need to get you back to the inn. We don’t know if he’ll be back to finish the job.” Terra adjusted the ripped cloth on Aqua’s leg--he must have tied it before Ven arrived--and picked Aqua up off the ground. It seemed like she wanted to argue but she bit her tongue back due to the pain of the movement. 

Vanitas led the group out of the forest and they hurried to the inn. Aqua complained that she was fine to walk but Terra shut down every argument by telling her that carrying her was faster. They made it back without incident Terra and Aqua entered the room first, followed by Sora, and then Ven. Ven looked back at Vanitas, he had not budged from his place in the hall.

“Aren’t you coming in?” Ven asked.    


“I’m fine out here.” Vanitas leaned back against the wall, his hands were shoved into his pockets and he gave him a look that Ven could not decipher. 

Ven shook his head and made his way over to the bed where Aqua laid. Terra was cleaning her wound--it wasn’t deep and they weren’t bite marks, thankfully. Ven grabbed the bandages from his bag to wrap Aqua’s ankle. Aqua mentioned it wasn’t too bad of a sprain and Ven agreed, it was a mild sprain. 

After Ven had finished elevating her ankle he sat next to Sora. He had been quiet the whole time while he watched the two work. Terra was still working on her, using the other bandages they had packed to rewrap the wound.

“I never got your name.” Sora broke the silence first. 

“Didn’t you say that you were looking for us?” Aqua perked up when she heard Ven’s question.

Sora shook his head. “We were looking for vampire hunters to help us but no one specific. We knew they existed if vampires still do.”

Ven hummed then said, “I’m Ventus, but you can call me Ven. And they’re Aqua and Terra.”

“Sora,” Terra spoke. “Could you tell me what happened? Why are you hunting a vampire?”

“And why is your  _ brother _ one?” Aqua interrupted. Ven could hear the disdain in her voice. Any vampire was one that needed to be killed, no exceptions. It was only her injury that held her back from taking any action. 

“That...” Sora trailed off, his eyes wandered to the open door where Vanitas was hanging out to the side. “It’s not the easiest story to tell.”

“We have all night, take your time,” Terra encouraged.

“It--it happened when our parents invited a strange man into our home. He was old, he had gray hair, and he looked particularly fragile. Our parents were kind--they fed him and gave him a place to stay for the night.” Sora paused and rubbed his eyes. “Vanitas was the one to find them dead, drained of blood--um, sorry--I heard him yell. So I ran to where the shouts came from and I saw the same man, but younger? I know this isn’t making much sense but he was  _ feeding _ on Vanitas. He started to look sickly so I took a fire iron and just--” Sora made a quick motion downward. “I stabbed him in the middle of his back and through the chest. But...that didn’t kill him. He’d run off and...”

No more had to be said, Vanitas had turned because he was near death. 

“Do you remember the vampire’s name?” Aqua asked, bringing Sora back to reality. 

“Yes. His name was Xehanort.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a very short, indulgent fic for me and my friend (birdtalk, thank u for being my beta) but it kinda spiralled out of control and now I have too many scenes and notes so this will be a much longer fic that I've ever tried to write.
> 
> Vampires are my absolute favorite and I desperately want to finish this so I hope you'll stick with me through this journey.
> 
> here's the alternate summary for the fic: gay van helsing but if he was bad at being van helsing


	2. Chapter 2

It was clear that Vanitas was listening and had enough. His footsteps retreated and a door slammed. 

“Vanitas is fine, it’s just been hard for the both of us,” Sora said. He stood up and stretched his limbs. “I’ll check on him and make sure he cleans up. Don’t want anyone freaking out by the amount of dried blood on his face.”

Sora headed out the door as the rest looked on in silence. Aqua and Terra shared a worried look--Ven knew what they were feeling. Xehanort was back after a year of radio silence and they would have to destroy him. 

“We can’t stay here,” Aqua said.

“We need to see a doctor for your ankle and wound first,” Terra countered. 

“Doesn’t matter.” She propped herself up with a wince and continued, “First off, Xehanort is nearby and while I would prefer we kill him now, I can’t. Second, we seem to have formed a temporary alliance with a vampire.” Her exhaustion permeated her words. Ven only understood her disdain for them on a surface level; for Aqua, and to a lesser extent, Terra, ridding the world of vampires was their only goal in life. 

Ven knew how dangerous they were; he’d nearly become a victim. However, it seemed to all three of them that the surviving covens had gone underground. There weren’t any new attacks and the latest incident was done by the one they had been preparing to destroy. In fact, most of the attacks in years past had been committed by Xehanort or members of his coven. Since Master Eraqus’ death, Aqua and Terra had succeeded in decimating the coven and the only one that remained was Xehanort.

He never wanted this life as a hunter but he kept at it because Aqua and Terra were his only family. They knew that Ven had his doubts but Aqua made it clear to Ven, “It’s us or them. And they won’t stop unless we stop them.”

“AAAAH!” A scream rang out from downstairs. Vanitas. 

Ven ran out despite Terra and Aqua’s protests. He skipped two stairs at a time and when he reached the bottom he found the old innkeeper pointing a shotgun at Vanitas and Sora.

“Don’t you dare come any closer or I’ll shoot!” The innkeeper was trembling--if she did shoot, chances of it making its mark were low. 

Ven looked at Vanitas. He bared his fangs to the frightened innkeeper but did nothing else. Sora held him by the shoulders and in his grip was a bloody dishrag. The innkeeper knew and Ven had to stop them both before someone got hurt. 

“Ma’am, lower your weapon. We’ll take care of him.” Terra appeared from behind Ven with Aqua in tow. He signaled Ven to move forward and sidestepped him to take the weapon from the old woman. 

Aqua, with a nasty grimace on her face, went to place a firm grip on Sora and Vanitas and guided--pushed--them out of the inn. Ven followed suit, only glancing behind to make sure Terra was fine without his support. The very little support he could even offer--he felt much more useless than when he started training. That nagging feeling that he was not cut out for this only grew by the minute. 

Ven turned the corner to where their truck was parked. He spotted Aqua first, her shoulders were tense and her hand gripped the crossbow tightly (thankfully, it was pointed at the ground). Vanitas and Sora were sitting on the bumper and Sora had started to nod off and laid his head against Vanitas’ shoulder. Vanitas only stared at Aqua, not a hint of exhaustion painted his features. 

“Aqua,” Ven called. She didn’t turn around.

“Ven, you’ll need to go in the back.” Aqua shifted her weight and let out a groan when she balanced too much weight on her bad ankle. Ven was certain they would have to tie her down for her to rest it. “You too.” She motioned to Vanitas. Aqua handed Ven her crossbow, it wouldn’t fit in the front but Ven knew why she handed it to him. 

“Fine with me,” Vanitas agreed. “Sora, go up with them. With your luck, you’ll fall off the truck.”

“I don’t think I’m the unlucky one,” Sora sighed but didn’t argue. He jumped off the bumper and opened the passenger door. He offered to help Aqua up but she waved him off. 

Terra walked toward the remaining two and nodded at them before jumping into the driver’s seat. The truck roared to life and Ven had yet to jump on. Vanitas stood on the truck bed and eyed Ven. 

“Are you coming or not?” Vanitas asked, smirking. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.” He extended a hand to help Ven up. 

Ven only narrowed his eyes. Unspoken alliance or not, Ven knew he had to be careful around him. He hauled himself up onto the truck without acknowledging Vanitas’ hand. He plopped himself down and Vanitas followed--neither of them said a single word as the truck pulled out. 

Ven looked down at the loaded crossbow and focused on the rhythm of the moving truck. If he had to, he would have to shoot Vanitas if he tried to attack him. Ven still was not confident he could take another life, even if that life is one of the undead. He looked up. 

Vanitas was staring at him, his expression was unreadable. In the darkness, his eyes looked golden under the glow of the moonlight; they stood out against his pale skin and unruly black hair. Ven felt a pull that he attempted to ignore. Instead he asked a question. 

“What were you doing near the inn?” Vanitas’ eyes narrowed at Ven and searched for intent. 

“I caught Xehanort’s scent. Or rather, the person he was feeding on.” He continued to stare at Ven, daring him to look away.

Ven felt challenged. “And what about later?”

“I needed to feed,” Vanitas answered. Ven’s eyebrows lifted in surprise despite himself.

“Who did you feed on?”

“So many questions, Ventus. So very curious,” Vanitas hummed. “Are you jealous that I never did bite you?”

“Answer the question,” Ven pressed. 

Vanitas sighed, “If you must know, it was a deer. I’ve never fed on a human.” Vanitas looked Ven up and down, sending a shiver down his spine. Ven broke eye contact and Vanitas smirked. “We could revisit what almost happened only hours ago.”

Vanitas licked his lips and Ven couldn’t help but focus on the action. The air was cool outside, the manufactured breeze helped Ven keep his blush down. Anything Vanitas did affected him and in this particular moment he remembered the feeling of Vanitas’ hand on his neck. 

“I’ve never tried a human before,” Vanitas repeated. “You are very...tempting.”

Ven swallowed, the blush he had been fighting had crept up on him. He adjusted his hold on the crossbow Aqua entrusted him.

Vanitas let out a humorless laugh. “This vampire thing is new but I know what they’re capable of and you do too. It’s amazing, I can hear everything.” He dipped his gaze to Ven’s chest. “I can hear that thrumming heartbeat of yours, little canary.”

Ven took in a breath and tried to calm it down. Did it really matter all that much now that Vanitas could tell? “Have you always been this bold?”

“Depends on who you ask.” 

“Of course.” Ven rolled his eyes.

The remainder of the trip was spent in silence and Vanitas never once took his eyes off Ven. Ven couldn’t stand the intensity of it all and looked up to the stars. He counted the stars and traced the constellations. Ven could vaguely remember counting the stars when he was younger but every time he tried to focus on the other parts of that memory, it felt blocked off and locked away. The stars were his constant and the constellations reminded him he was a part of something bigger than himself. The others needed him as much as he needed them--even if it was hard for Ven to believe as of late. 

Before long, Ven recognized the road they were on. The truck slowed down as they reached their home and dawn had started to peak. Vanitas jumped off the truck before Terra could put it in park and Ven followed closely behind. 

Ven went to the passenger door to help Aqua down. She refused, despite her injury, and grumbled when she was forced to lean against Terra for support. The sprain she had was only worsened by the innkeeper incident. They would have to call someone to help her with the injury and force her to keep off her ankle. That should be a fun challenge for him and Terra. 

Sora joined Vanitas who was leaning near the porch. Ven wondered how Sora could seem so undeterred by everything. He was the exact opposite to Vanitas’ dark--Sora was a light. It seemed unlikely to Ven that that’s all they were, he remained skeptical of Sora the most. 

“Let’s go in. I’ll call the doctor at a more reasonable hour,” Terra said. “Vanitas, Sora--Ven can show you to one of our spare rooms.”

“Thank you.” Sora elbowed Vanitas and he muttered a ‘thank you’. 

“Keep an eye on them,” Aqua whispered to Ven as he passed her by. 

Ven waited until Terra laid her on one of the couches in the living room to take the other two down the hall to one of the guest rooms. The room had two beds and was connected to a bathroom. The house was old, the empty rooms showed as much, and it could hold many more people but vampire hunting was not as necessary as it used to be. Ven figured it had to do with the infrequency of vampire attacks--he wondered where all the vampires had gone. He supposed they could hide among the people or maybe they really were all dead. 

“This will be your room. My room is across the hall.” Ven looked at both of them. They were in desperate need of clothes that weren’t covered in blood and dirt. “I’ll hand you some clothes and the bathroom is behind that door.”

“Thanks again,” Sora said. Vanitas had moved to sit on the windowsill to watch the rising sun. 

“I’ll be right back.” 

Ven pulled out some clothing for them both and handed it over to Sora. Vanitas had disappeared, most likely to clean himself of the grime. “I hope these will work.”

“Yes, it might be a bit snug on Vanitas but he shouldn’t complain.” Sora smiled. Ven eyed him carefully. Something definitely struck him strange about Sora and his pseudo-optimism. He decided to drop it since he wanted to go check on Aqua. 

He walked back to the living room where she was discussing something with Terra. Frustration was building in her and her words were spoken through gritted teeth. Terra sighed in relief when he saw Ven round the corner. 

“Ven, speak some sense into her.”

“I’d rather push a boulder up a mountain,” Ven laughed. “What’s the issue?” He mentally kicked himself for that one. It was a loaded question thanks to current circumstances. 

Aqua merely rolled her eyes. “We need to find Xehanort now before he attacks again.”

“And you are also injured and we need to get you some help first,” Terra countered. 

“I am fine.” 

“No, you’re not,” Terra and Ven said in unison. They looked at each other in surprise and after a moment, all three of them broke out in laughter. Ven was thankful that they could relieve some of the tension. 

“Hey,” Ven said after he recovered from laughing. “Do you think the witch can help us out?”

“Ven, she’s not a witch. She just makes medicine. Stop feeding into the silly rumors,” Aqua chided him.

“If vampires exist then witches can too,” Ven argued. It was silly to think this was where Aqua crossed the line.

“Witches haven’t existed for years!”

“Hmm...” Terra put a hand on his chin and looked down at Aqua. “It couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“Then it’s settled.” Ven smiled and Aqua let out a sigh that called him insufferable. 

“Fine.”

Crash!

The trio whipped their heads in the direction of the sound--it came from the guest room. Ven ran over first with Terra not so far behind him after he sternly told Aqua, “stay there.” Ven forcibly pushed the door open and scanned the room for any incident. There, Ven spotted Vanitas on the floor struggling to take off the shirt Ven had given him. 

It seemed that Sora didn’t intend to help since he was off on one of the beds doubled over in laughter. Ven and Terra dropped their shoulders, relieved. Terra entered the room and headed over to where Vanitas fought with a piece of cloth. 

“Having some trouble there, Vanitas?” Terra asked. Vanitas grumbled and ripped the cloth into shreds--it was probably easier than twisting it back around. Terra smiled and Vanitas returned it with a glare. 

Ven laughed quietly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He found it funny that he had found Vanitas intimidating only to see him make a fool of himself. He stopped laughing once he became a target of Vanitas’ anger. Ven could still hear Sora giggling in the back--at least he was having fun.

“The shirt is too small,” Vanitas said. Clearly. 

“We’ll get you a bigger one.” Terra laughed. “How sensitive are you to sunlight right now?”

“Shouldn’t be. Fed last night.” 

Vanitas was still looking at Ven, a smile creeped up on his face. Predatory. Like the blood that dripped down from his mouth all the way to his chest. That’s where Ven dropped his gaze to and lingered before shaking his head in thinly veiled embarrassment.

“You’ll come into town with us and you can use one of my old shirts instead until we get you something new.” Terra turned around to face Sora who had stopped laughing to dry his tears. “Sora, stay here with Aqua. We’ll be back soon.”

“He comes with me.” Vanitas said with a menacing tone.

“It’ll be okay, I’ll be fine here.” Sora’s eyes had gone wide and he walked to Vanitas to whisper something. Vanitas looked like he wanted to argue but his fight died before the words could escape. 

Satisfied, Terra walked out and returned with a too-big shirt that Vanitas had to tuck into his pants. “Let’s head out. Aqua will be in the living room, Sora.”

“Got it, thank you.” Vanitas gave him one last look before turning around and headed out the door. 

Ven walked behind him and nearly caught up when a hand came down on his shoulder. It was Terra and he was dangling Ven’s belt with his knife attached. He gratefully took it and buckled it around his waist. 

“Sit up in the front, Ven. Vanitas, it’s your choice.”

“I’ll sit in the back.” Vanitas opened the front door and jumped into the back of the truck with ease. 

“Ven, go ahead. I’m going to check on Aqua and then we’ll go find the witch.” Terra handed him the keys to the truck. 

“She’s not a witch!” Ven could hear Aqua yell from the other room. Terra chuckled and left him alone in the hall. 

Ven went to the truck and glanced at Vanitas. He wouldn’t make eye contact with Ven and pulled up his knees so he could lay his head on top. What was it that Sora said to make Vanitas pull back so much? He shook his head and moved on to the passenger seat. What did it matter to him? 

A few minutes later, Terra hopped into the front seat and sighed before taking the keys from Ven and starting the truck. He backed out and they were on their way.

“Did Aqua chew you out or...?” Ven trailed off.

“Ha, yes, you could say that. She also doesn’t want you calling the witch a witch.” 

“You know the rumors are true.” 

“Yes, but Aqua thinks it's rude to call her that instead of her name.” Terra made a quick turn, causing Ven to grab onto the handle. “Sorry. Seatbelt.”

Terra sped on the unpaved roads and Ven got carsick. It wasn’t usual for Terra to be in such a rush but they did need Aqua to get better. After another fifteen minutes, a cabin appeared in the near distance. When Terra finally stopped the truck, Ven stumbled out. He shook his head but that made the car sickness worse so he took deep breaths to try to control it. Vanitas appeared by his side silently. 

“What?” Ven asked. 

“I didn’t say anything,” Vanitas said. 

Terra knocked on the door and the three of them waited for a response. Ven heard the door click and open but Terra was blocking the view so he couldn’t see who greeted them.

“We’re here to see Naminé,” Terra said. 

“She’s not seeing anyone at the moment,” replied the voice. 

“It’s okay, Xion--let them in.” 

Terra went in first along with Ven and they passed by a woman with black hair and similarly colored clothing. She looked at them both with skepticism until she saw Vanitas. Vanitas was quickly pushed against the wall by Xion with a knife against his neck. It kept Vanitas still but he made a point to bare his fangs at her. Ven turned to help Vanitas but Terra’s grip held him back.

“Hold on, he’s with us,” Terra explained. He turned to where a woman with blonde hair stood calmly. 

“A vampire? What are you doing keeping this kind of company?” Xion said with curled lips. 

“Could hardly count them as company,” Vanitas spat out, earning him added pressure against his neck. His skin started to burn under the knife--Ven had only seen it in the books he was forced to read. Her knife had an engraving, something uncommon as of modern day, that glowed a faint orange of a burning flame.

“Let him go,” Naminé said. Xion looked back and reluctantly loosened her hold on Vanitas. She eyed him once more before stepping aside and walked to Naminé. Vanitas rubbed at the spot and glared at Ven when he caught him staring. 

“Are you the witch?” Ven blurted out.

“Ven,” Terra sighed and Ven winced. 

Naminé, however, laughed at the question. “Yes, I suppose so. All I really do is make tinctures. The kids at the town over have a truly creative imagination.” 

“Tinctures that can cure ailments in a matter of hours instead of weeks,” Ven clarified.

Naminé hummed and walked over to her work station. “Yes, but if you’re here for him, I’m afraid I have nothing that can help with vampirism.” Vanitas snorted but said nothing. “You, however, look like you need relief from reckless driving.” She walked over to Ven and handed him a drink. 

“Is this an elixir?” Ven asked.

“No, it’s mint tea. Helps settle the stomach,” she clarified as she walked back to her station. “So, what brings you to see the witch?”

“We’re here because our friend sprained her ankle,” Terra said.

“Oh.” Naminé tilted her head in slight confusion. “Then why doesn’t she rest it.”

Terra looked over to where Vanitas hung back and said, “We’re crunched for time.” 

Naminé beckoned Terra closer so they could discuss the details of Aqua’s injury and the qualities of the tincture she would prepare. Due to Aqua’s excessive movement from the night before she would have to rest her ankle for a few days at most and apply a salve to the area. Terra was handed a different salve for Aqua’s wound--if applied correctly and once a day, then it would heal in two days. 

Ven wasn’t too interested in the complexities of using magic and plants but at least he could later tell Aqua he was right. Instead of joining them, he walked over to check on Vanitas. 

“Are you okay?” Ven asked. 

“Why do you care?”

Ven looked down at the floor. “I’m not sure.” Vanitas rolled his eyes at him but he answered honestly--Ven didn’t know why he cared.

When Ven looked back up, Vanitas was staring at him but this time his eyes lingered on Ven’s neck. He wouldn’t look away this time, he could stand to challenge Vanitas’ intense gaze. “That’s a nasty burn,” he commented. Ven carelessly raised his hand and hovered over the burn that etched itself in Vanitas’ neck. He was stopped by Vanitas’ grip on his wrist and the pain from the nails curling into his skin brought him back to reality. 

“Careful now,” Vanitas snarled. “Don’t start anything you aren’t willing to finish.”

Ven huffed and tried to pull his hand back. Vanitas let him go and the sudden release caused Ven to stumble and fall backwards. He had crashed into one of the many empty pots that filled the entrance, his tea mug became one of the victims. Apparently the crash was loud enough to get the others’ attention and it was Xion that rushed over to help him up. Ven noticed that Vanitas had decided to stalk off outside. 

“You need to be careful,” Xion told him.

“I know.”

“I’m not sure you do. He may have been human before but he is not the same as he was.” Xion pulled on his necklace. “As a hunter you should know that. Your oath is to protect.” She left to return to Naminé’s side, leaving Ven in a contemplative state.

Not for long, however, as Terra finished up with Naminé and placed the packaged salves in Ven’s hands. Terra shouted another ‘thank you’ before heading out the door with Ven in tow. Not much time had passed; the sun wasn’t in the middle of the sky just yet. Vanitas was already waiting for them in the back of the truck--the burn on his throat had faded into a pink line.

The drive back was quick and uneventful despite Terra’s reckless driving. He asked Terra to slow down but he only laughed in reply. He should have known the attempt would be fruitless. He turned his head back to where Vanitas was lying against the glass of the back window. Before they returned to the house, Terra stopped at one of the general stores for extra clothing for Vanitas and Sora. He handed off the purchased clothing to Vanitas to hold. Ven looked at the tight grip he had on the bag, careful to not let it or himself get pushed around by the unpaved roads. 

“Now that I think about it...You didn’t need Vanitas to come with us did you?”

“Did you really want Aqua and him to be trapped in a house together or did you want a house to come back to?” Terra asked in return. Makes sense, Ven thought. 

They made it back but once Terra began to brake, Vanitas jumped out and ran toward the house. Ven looked at Terra who wore a similarly worried expression. Once parked, they exited and Ven grabbed the clothing before following Vanitas to the house. As they got closer they could hear noise coming from the inside--almost as if there was a loose wild animal trapped inside. 

Vanitas opened the door forcefully, knocking it back against the wall, and rushed inside. Ven heard Aqua yell and when they made it to her they saw something unlike anything they’ve ever seen. It was Sora but Ven was unsure since he was shrouded in a dark vapor. The living room had been trashed with the couch flipped over and glass shards littered the floor. 

Aqua was holding Sora back and she looked back to confirm it was them that had entered the living room. It was a careless mistake, she shouldn’t have looked back. Sora escaped her grip and nearly floated away from her--he looked possessed, especially with his glowing eyes. Sora backed away quickly and noises that didn’t sound quite human escaped his mouth.

“What’s going on?” Terra yelled.

“I don’t know! He ran out of his room looking like this ten minutes ago!” Aqua winced as she stepped in glass but regained her composure quickly as Sora prepared to attack.

He crouched then lunged with his claws out but he was knocked to the ground by Vanitas. He was able to pin Sora down by his arms, growls emitted from them both. Sora thrashed against Vanitas’ hold and his growl turned into a cry. Vanitas kept steady. He held him there for what seemed like forever until the darkness dissipated from his body. It was unlike anything Ven had ever seen. Vanitas released him when the vapor disappeared completely. What it revealed was a crying Sora--he made no sound, the silence in the room was only amplified by the sight of him. 

Sora scrambled to sit up and put his arms around Vanitas, mumbling something Ven couldn’t quite make out. Vanitas did not immediately return the embrace but did so when Sora began sob against his shoulder. They continued like this until Sora had finally quieted down and released Vanitas from his embrace. They stood up and glass clinked back down to the floor as they brushed it off. It appeared that Sora had shallow wounds that marked his arms--either from Aqua or the shattered glass that came from the glass cabinet. 

“Vanitas, take him to the kitchen. There’s a first aid kit there,” Terra said. “Ven, go with them and help them out. I’m going to help Aqua.”

Ven nodded and showed the other two the way to the kitchen. Glass crunched under his steps and he sighed at the sensation. It would be Ven that would have to clean up the mess later. Once in the kitchen, Ven pulled out the first aid kit from above the stove. Vanitas sat Sora down on one of the stools around the kitchen island and examined his cuts. 

“They look minor and they’ll only need a cleaning,” Ven informed Sora. Sora did not look up and only confirmed with a nod. He opened up the kit and let out a small laugh when he remembered the last time he had to use this. 

“What’s the joke?” Vanitas asked and narrowed his eyes at Ven.

“We only ever use this kit when Aqua burns or cuts herself when she tries to cook,” Ven said. Sora’s lips turned up slightly before dropping back down into a frown. Ven raised an eyebrow at Sora and started to clean and bandage the cuts. 

“Is Aqua okay?” Sora asked. 

“Yes, she’ll be fine. I think we’re all more concerned for you. Are you okay?”

Sora’s frown deepened and he shifted his eyes between Ven and Vanitas. Vanitas said nothing and nothing in his blank expression gave away an answer to what had just happened. 

Sora took in a deep breath and on the exhale, he said, “It’s a curse.” 

“A what?” Ven could believe that vampires existed (that’s all he knew), confirmed the existence of witches recently, and now he had to digest the fact that curses were, well, a thing. He could hear the faint ringing of the landline but chose to ignore it for now. Terra or Aqua would answer it. 

“A curse,” Sora repeated. “I’ve had it for as long as I can remember. It’s triggered when I’m stressed--I promise I didn’t mean to hurt Aqua, I don’t mean to hurt people.” His shoulders sagged, his voice quivered, and tears threatened to spill again. “I don’t know how to lift the curse. It’s generational.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone,” Vanitas muttered but he didn’t seem angry at Sora. 

“Are you cursed?” Ven asked Vanitas. 

“No, it only affects one person in the family. Our parents thought they were freed from the curse but Sora has never had the best luck.” Vanitas grabbed the kit to start cleaning the cuts on Sora’s left arm. Ven sighed and continued to finish up Sora’s right. Ven didn’t think he could help Sora all that much more than this. 

“Hey,” Terra said as he leaned against the entrance to the kitchen. “Everyone should get some rest. We’ll need to leave again tonight.”

“Got it,” Ven replied. “Is Aqua okay?” Sora picked up his head to face Terra as he waited for the response. 

“She’ll be fine, the salves are helping.” Terra looked back, probably in Aqua’s direction. Sora’s tension left when he heard the confirmation. “She still doesn’t believe witches are real,” he said in a louder tone than necessary. 

“Of all things...” Ven muttered. “Okay, well. I think we all need rest. Vanitas, you should take him to your room.” Vanitas nodded and took Sora away. Someone mumbled something resembling a ‘thank you’ but Ven wasn’t sure if it was even meant for him. 

When they were out of sight, Ven let out a sigh. “This is so much more than we ever bargained for.”

“Didn’t know we had much choice in the matter,” replied Terra. “Get some rest, really. I’ll clean up.”

“Thanks, Terra.” Ven patted him on the arm and headed for his room. 

He paused in front of Vanitas’ and Sora’s room before carrying on to his own room. Ven was in desperate need of a shower so he took one first. When he finally got to his bed, he practically fell in. Ven looked up at the ceiling, his thoughts were filled with questions about vampires, curses, and what would come next. He thought of Vanitas and how every time he touched him felt like a burn. If anyone could see him now, they would see that Ven’s face also began to burn. He rubbed his eyes as if to push the thoughts out and focus instead on sleep. He knew none of them would be getting a full rest but he was thankful for what he could get.

He closed his eyes and dreamt of nothing but darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me two weeks ago: wouldnt it be fun if i just wrote vanven vampire au  
> me now: curses and witches too, this is fine
> 
> vanitas and ven will get together...at some point...haha 
> 
> thank you birdtalk for helping me and screaming at me
> 
> If you see another note under this idk what’s happening ao3 is being weird and showing you ch 1’s end note

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a very short, indulgent fic for me and my friend (birdtalk, thank u for being my beta) but it kinda spiralled out of control and now I have too many scenes and notes so this will be a much longer fic that I've ever tried to write. 
> 
> Vampires are my absolute favorite and I desperately want to finish this so I hope you'll stick with me through this journey. 
> 
> here's the alternate summary for the fic: gay van helsing but if he was bad at being van helsing


End file.
